Charley Havlat was born on 10 November 1910 in rural Saline County, near Dorchester, NE. He was the oldest son of Anton and Antonia Nemec Havlat, Czech immigrants to Nebraska in the early 1900s. His brothers, Adolph, Rudolph, and Lumir, also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Charley and Rudolph served together in the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. On the morning of 7 May 1945, two reconnaissance platoons were sent forward to locate German positions northeast of the Czech town of Volary. About 8:20 a.m. a burst of small arms fire from enemy soldiers in the woods struck the American patrol, wounding several and killing Charley Havlat. Word of a formal cease-fire to take effect at 8:30 a.m. reached the American and German units a few minutes later. The cease-fire ended the war in Europe.

Charley Havlat was the last confirmed American combat fatality in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Ironically, Havlat died while helping liberate his parents' homeland.

Death and Burial

Private First Class Charley Havlat was killed in action at about 8:20 a.m. on 7 May 1945. He is buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-Avold, France.